The Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT) and IACMI are pleased to share a space at Cherokee Farms in Knoxville, Tenn., as a launchpad for composites innovation and commercialization. The integrated facility at Innovation South brings together advanced manufacturing equipment that spans the full machining lifecycle—from raw material preparation to finished product.
By co-locating the equipment in one space, the facility allows IACMI Members, researchers, industry partners, and students to design, manufacture, inspect, and test parts in a single environment. This accelerates innovation, shortens development cycles, and enables rapid prototyping of advanced materials and structures.
In addition to supporting research and industrial collaboration, the facility serves as a hands-on training environment for the next-generation workforce.
At Innovation South you’ll find:
Advanced Manufacturing:
- Michelman Sizing Line: The Michelman fiber sizing line applies protective coatings to fibers to improve strength, handling, and performance in composite manufacturing
- 3D Printing–Hypersonic: This 3D printing system enables advanced material innovation by producing high-temperature, lightweight components for hypersonic aerospace applications
- ATP: Automated Tape Placement (ATP) enables precise, high-speed placement of composite fibers, producing complex lightweight structures for aerospace and advanced manufacturing
- Filament Winder: The filament winder enables precise fiber winding to produce strong, lightweight composite structures such as pressure vessels, pipes, and aerospace components
- Extrusion/Compression molding: The Plasticator and Wabash 150-ton press enables high-rate composite manufacturing, forming durable, high-strength parts for automotive and other advanced industries
- Wet-laid: The wet-laid machine produces nonwoven fiber mats for high-rate composite manufacturing in aerospace and automotive applications
- VARTM: Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) produces high-quality, lightweight composite parts for aerospace, automotive, marine, and industrial applications using infusion
- Haas: The Haas 3-axis CNC machine enables precise, multi-sided machining for complex manufacturing applications
- KUKA: The KUKA 6-axis robotic arm enables precise, multi-directional motion for complex manufacturing, inspection, and advanced materials processing